Underworld is a film where the story takes centre stage above the gore and leather clad characters. If you are after action then I would advise you pass on this piece of storytelling. Underworld does seem to unfold rather like a novel it...
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Underworld is a film where the story takes centre stage above the gore and leather clad characters. If you are after action then I would advise you pass on this piece of storytelling. Underworld does seem to unfold rather like a novel it progressively forms a rich tapestry of mythology whilst maintaining a sense of urgency. The story arc itself is put into context using flashbacks and monologues sporadically placed throughout the film. When it first came out "professional film critics" panned this film; I have seen some truly diabolical movies in my time and Underworld is hardly a “bad� film, which is, in fact a gross exaggeration. It may not be to everyone’s taste but it is a very far cry from badly written or badly paced. As someone who eminently prefers the lengthy story telling of television as a format in which to tell a larger story, I found Underworld to be gratifying for its ambition, grandoise and depth. The story is well constructed if one is willing to concentrate and think about what is going on onscreen. This kind of complexity of plot is rarely found in movies these days. Anyone who comes looking for a shallow action thriller will be sorely disappointed; the story is the main character of this movie. It takes centre stage and every character must bow to it. I would advise rewatching Underworld a few times because there is a significant amount of things occurring at once, and one can get a little overwhelmed with the flurry of names and dates.

I would recommend this to anyone who can look past the idea of gore and action to see and enjoy the evolution of a well developed plot unfolding. The characters are, arguably relatively underdeveloped, but I believe that to be a trait of the genre. Yet Selene (Beckinsale) and Michael (Speedman) still do well to carry the film and their oblique chemistry is noticeable even in their scenes with little or no dialogue. Underworld takes itself seriously so there isn't much in the way of humour; what pervades through most of the film is this sense of malignant darkness that is disturbing and ultimately breathtaking. Watch it and see for yourself. The plot is complex, the love story is played mostly in subtext and the story itself moves quickly but can be hard to follow if you are prone to daydreaming. The performances from the likes of Sheen and Nighy however manage to bring the story and the believability of the film to new heights. Thoroughly recommended for those wanting a sprawling story over blood and gore.